Dates Traveled: September 2001 - July 2002
(I spent a total of about 6 1/2 months actually in India during that time)

Late December, after trekking in Nepal
Darjeeling

From Pokhara it was 22 hours by various buses and a shared jeep out of Nepal and to the Indian hill station of Darjeeling…of tea fame. Darjeeling has a great setting, as it sits amid tea plantations and straddles a ridge at about 2100 m./7000 ft. It was certainly cooler here than on the plains - I could see my breath in my room, but that made for some nice views of the mountains, which included Kanchenjunga, the third highest in the world. I hit the zoo, which had some of the local animals - snow leopards, tigers, blue sheep, etc.; wandered the winding streets; spent a quiet New Years with other travelers at the lodge; walked to see some of the monasteries; checked out the Tibetan refugee self-help settlement to see them spinning yarn, weaving, doing leatherwork, etc.; and in general relaxed for a few days.

Bodhgaya & Kalachakra

From Darjeeling it was about 24 hours to Patna - not a normal place to stop, but since Bihar is considered the most dangerous state I decided to not risk a night bus to Gaya and simply spent the night. The following morning I attempted to get a seat in the general-seating section of a second class train. Normally these are filled beyond capacity with locals, which is why most travelers travel in the second class sleepers. However, since the train was originating in Patna I figured I’d be able to get a seat…I figured wrong. The locals knew where the train was sitting before it ever arrived on the platform, and they also jumped aboard while the train was approaching the platform, such that there were no seats available by the time I got on. I simply sat on my pack on the floor by the exit doors - too near the bathrooms, but was probably more comfortable for the 2 1/2 hour journey than had I been crammed into a seat. From Gaya it was a short rickshaw ride to Bodhgaya - the place where Buddha attained enlightenment, complete with the bodhi tree he sat under.

This was January 4th, and I quickly found out that there was going to be a major Buddhist teaching - the Kalachakra initiation, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama starting January 21st and lasting 10 days. Now, if I don’t have a month to kill while waiting around to see/hear the Dalai Lama, and to witness the huge influx of people that was expected in town, who does? As Bodhgaya is such an important city in the Buddhist religion, several Buddhist countries have temples/monasteries here - each in that country’s particular style, so it was interesting to see the vast differences between those from Thailand, Bhutan, Japan, Tibet, etc.

Mahabodhi temple is the focal point of town - a large temple, the bodhi tree under which Buddha sat, many smaller stupas, beautiful grounds, and two levels of walkway circling the temple. Throughout my time in Bodhgaya there were always many worshippers meditating, chanting, prostrating, walking around the temple, or simply sitting quietly. Most were continually fingering their malas, or prayer beads. Some were westerners, many came from Bhutan, and most were Tibetans - some from India, but also talked to some that had walked two months from Tibet to be there. At night the area around the Mahabodhi temple was aglow in thousands of candles and butter lamps. During the day, the thousands of monks in maroon robes congregated to pray for world peace. Day or night the sight was pretty magical.

As I ventured out each day I observed more and more people, until there were eventually about 450,000 jostling around town. Everywhere you looked it was a sea of maroon robes - the monks that had gathered from all over the region. Many of them were wearing surgical masks to keep out the dust and filth of the city. Hard to imagine that Buddha was able to attain enlightenment in Bodhgaya amidst the horns blaring, the chaos, and the filth - maybe it wasn’t as bad in 528 BC! There were many Buddhist teachings and meditation periods offered prior to the actual Kalachakra, and there were traditional Tibetan song/dance/play performances at night, though most of my time was simply spent wandering and people-watching. When the actual teachings began, the Dalai Lama was said to be sick, and so other monks taught the first 3 days. Teachings were held outdoors under tent coverings and went for 3 hours/day. Most people bought a burlap bag full of straw (as always, Indians being very enterprising) as a cushion and sat on the ground. Those of us that didn’t speak Tibetan had radios to listen to the English translation. Only awareness I came to is that I’m too old to sit cross-legged for hours at a time without my knees and ankles hurting and my butt falling asleep, though I’m not sure that’s what they had in mind! On the fourth day the Dalai Lama did speak, but only to say that he’d be unable to perform the Kalachakra due to his health and that the event would have to be postponed. As is the Buddhist nature, nobody was upset over the decision. People had come from all over India, many had come from Bhutan, and I mentioned those that had come from Tibet. However, all believed that the Dalai Lama’s health was most important and so they understood - all was orderly. As would happen if your favorite rock band canceled a concert after everybody had arrived at the arena - or not.

Calcutta

It was great to be a part of the atmosphere in Bodhgaya and to watch everybody pour into town, but after sitting in one place for 26 days it was time for me to be on the move again - to Calcutta, another large Indian city. Calcutta is one of the few places in the world that still employs people to hand-pull rickshaws. These ‘drivers’ were invariably old, barefoot men, that would literally run through the streets of Calcutta with their cart of people or goods. Crazy. I arrived in Calcutta a few days after 5 or 6 Indian guards were gunned down outside the American Center, so was once again able to see India’s response to ’security’. I’d seen the same thing for the Dalai Lama in Bodhgaya, and would see it later in Kerala. They seem to believe that numbers are most important, so they employ many official-looking people. However, these police/soldiers always seem poorly prepared, and can usually be found sitting around talking and not paying attention to what is actually happening. I’ve even seen some asleep with their rifles in their laps! They seem to be more reactionary then preventative.

Puri, Konark, & Malaria

Next stop, Puri, a major Hindu pilgrimage site and a travelers beach hangout. I’d been warned about the beach, and it was all true. There is a fishing village that sits right on the beach, and so they use the beach as one great big toilet that gets flushed by the tides twice a day. Definitely had to watch where you stepped! Also interesting to watch the locals at the beach - especially the women as they remain clad in their sari’s. As a non-Hindu, I could only go onto the roof of a nearby building and look over to the Jagannath temple - one of the four dhams, or cardinal centers of pilgrimage in India, but it looked pretty impressive. I also took a day trip to Konark one day, which had very impressive ruins with detailed carvings. It was that night after returning to Puri that all hell broke loose - the shivering, the sweats, the headache, the upset stomach…malaria. I hadn’t been taking pills as prevention, as I didn’t want to be popping pills for 6 months. However, I did have them, and I was certainly glad that night. I’ve always said that the time I realize I’m traveling alone is when I’m sick, and that night was miserable. The next day wasn’t much better, but the following day I was able to embark on a 24-hour journey to Hyderabad…thank you chloroquine!

Hyderabad

Hyderabad has an amazing fort - Golconda, which is more like a walled city. I enjoyed walking around and exploring the fort. As seems to be the case with most museums or points of interest I visit, there were many school groups there that day. Each school in their different uniform, the girls in a different uniform than the boys, and the girls with their hair in two braids down their back instead of the one of the older women. They seem to like to talk to and shake the hands of foreigners, and after I’d talked to a group they’d constantly yell and wave to me whenever they’d see me again. My 15 minutes of fame. Hyderabad is about 50% Muslim, so I saw many women covered in black from head to toe, with just a small slit for their eyes (though some didn’t even have that). I don’t know if they’ve become more ‘vocal’ with their eyes out of necessity, or if everybody would seem to have more expressive eyes if that’s all you could see, but there was something very appealing about the women. Later, I was taking a rickshaw through the chaotic streets and was passed by a man on a motorcycle. Riding sidesaddle on the back was his Muslim wife, dressed in black from head to toe, slit for her eyes, and cradling a baby in her arms. She seemed very elegant and graceful as they wove in and out of traffic. Reminded me of the Vietnamese women in their traditional outfits, white gloves to their elbows, weaving their scooters in and out of traffic - their long hair flowing.

Tibetan New Years Near Mysore

Next, it was time to celebrate my second New Years, so headed to the Tibetan villages west of Mysore, opting to stay at Sera Je, a village with a monastery of 5000 monks. There are several ‘camps’ in the area - some for monks, some for the old, some for all. I was befriended by a monk, who showed me around the monastic camps. I was later befriended by another man who showed me around a camp for families. Both were informative and very interesting to talk to, giving me a better understanding of life in these camps, a Tibetan’s life as a refugee in India, and what the future holds. The one man was 42 years old and was born in India - it’s the only life he knows. However, when I asked if he’d ‘return’ to Tibet tomorrow if he could he answered immediately that he would - it’s his ‘home’. I’ve asked the question a lot, and always receive the same answer. The night of February 12th we (a few westerners but mostly the other monks) were treated to a cultural show by some of the monks. They donned an outfit I’d seen in performances in Bodhgaya - shirts with sleeves about twice as long as necessary, such that they ‘flowed’ when windmilled around the body. There was singing/dancing to traditional Tibetan songs, but then they did some modern numbers - wore bandanas on their heads, and donned sunglasses…the dichotomy of young monks still balancing being a kid and the more serious monastic lifestyle. A Dutch couple and I walked to another camp for a Losar - Tibetan New Years, dance. The music was modern and western; there were drinks, and lots of fireworks. Unlike many countries, there were actually more men on the dance ‘floor’ - an outdoor basketball court, than women. Also, there was no public display at midnight. We remained there until about 1, when we walked back to the monastic village. Around 2 AM the monks began to gather at the temple for a special ceremony, and the clear night air was filled with cries of ‘Tashi Delek’.

The first day of the New Year is typically spent with the family in the home, so I went to a guy’s house to spend some time with his family. The second day is more for community celebrations. It was interesting to witness the celebration of a different culture, and I was sorry to leave the Tibetan settlements. In my few days there I’d had monks pay for my rickshaw ride on a few occasions; I’d been guided around by two different people that expected nothing in return; while waiting for a guy I was invited into his home by his sister - who didn’t know me, and cooked breakfast for no fee; and my hotel fee was actually 25 rupees less per night than I’d been quoted. Am I still in India?!? Many people who spend large amounts of time in India seem to schedule little ‘breaks’ - either to adjacent countries, or to areas within India such as Darjeeling, Dharamsala, Ladakh, etc. to regroup before heading back into the Indian mainstream.

Mysore

Mysore was next, and I really enjoyed that city - it has a great feel. It has a palace, which is worth touring, and also worth seeing on Sunday night if possible. From 7-8 PM they light 97000 bulbs (I counted) outlining the palace doors, windows, arches, etc., as well as the surrounding walls. Definitely an amazing sight. Mysore also has a great local market, and at various places you can go watch people making incense sticks by hand. I happened to stay in a hotel right next to a typical little restaurant. This place served thalis, which are generally advertised simply as ‘meals’. It was just a hole-in-the-wall local eatery, so your plate was a green banana leaf. On this they piled some rice, various curries, some hot lime relish, yogurt, and maybe a sweet for dessert. You ate with your right hand (after washing in the sink found in most such eateries), and they kept piling more food on your leaf as you ate. Had a ‘chai’ - tea/milk/sugar concoction, to finish it all off. Price for such an all-you-can-eat extravaganza? US$0.34. Not a bad deal, and constitutes a vast majority of my meals here in India.

Day Tripping Near Mysore

From Mysore I took a day trip to a 57 foot tall Jain statue at Sravanabelagola - reached by 981 steps carved into the mountain granite, and then went to some 12th century ruins at Belur and Halebid. The carvings of the temples at Belur and Halebid were extraordinary. It was a good sidetrip.

Bangalore

Next stop, Bangalore, the information technology capital of India, and a little piece of the western world in the middle of India. It was bizarre to see malls, KFC, Pizza Hut, cell phones, and women in short hair and western clothes - fewer saris. Seemed like a cafe and student atmosphere, and was interesting to witness.

Chennai

Chennai was next, though I wasn’t overly impressed. I did some wandering, but was primarily trying to book a flight to Sri Lanka. It turned out to be cheaper from a town farther south, so I opted to wait.

Kanchipuram

I wanted to see several temples on my way through the state of Tamil Nadu, so proceeded to Kanchipuram next. In one temple I saw an elephant that would accept gifts from visitors to the temple, and then would touch the person on top of the head with it’s trunk to ‘bless’ them.

Mamallapuram

From there it was Mamallapuram, which combines some great carvings with a laid-back beach atmosphere. There are several caves, buildings, and other structures carved into the rocky outcrop on the edge of town, as well as a shore temple. In fact, the city still relies heavily on sculpture, and so the continuous sound of chisel on stone accompanies one wherever he wanders in town - every other shop creates/sells sculptures, from small, hand-held items to those requiring a crane to lift. Really liked Mamallapuram.

Pondicherry

Next was Pondicherry, an old French city. Simply relaxed a bit near the water before heading inland and farther south to some other temples.

Tiruchirappalli (Trichy)

At Tiruchirappalli (thankfully, known as Trichy), I checked out the temple. It had an impressive, colorful gopuram (gateway) standing 73 meters high, and the entire complex contained 7 concentric walled sections and 21 gopurams, making it probably one of the largest temples in India. Trichy also has a rock fort temple - temples set high on a rocky outcrop. However, most memorable in Trichy was the conversation I had with two locals in an out-of-the-way shop. They informed me that other planets are using computer systems much more advanced than we have on earth. A cow in India can communicate telepathically with a cow in Belgium. The number 0 actually has a value of 9. And finally, that the earth isn’t a sphere but is a cylinder…who knew? They showed me their monthly newsletter proclaiming everything as fact, and even gave me some web sites I could look up. They excitedly told me, “You can’t find this information anywhere else in the world”. Wonder why?!?A day trip from Trichy brought me to Thanjavur and the World Heritage listed Brihadishwara temple, which was impressive, from the intricate carvings to the 80-ton stone at the apex that was slid along a 4-km ramp into place - ala the building of the pyramids of Giza.

Madurai

The temple at Madurai was next. As I’d seen in other temples throughout India, this hallowed complex contained people inside selling cheap, kitschy plastic junk, and there were food stalls. Many temples also contain flashing lights. Strange. While walking the streets I heard somebody beating on a drum. Now that’s not that unusual in India, but when I looked up, there beside the man on the drum was a small girl on a ‘tightrope’. This was standard rope, strung between two pylons about 10 meters apart, about 4 feet off the ground, and the entire setup was right alongside a busy street. She was good, but was at the end of her performance so I didn’t get a picture. Figured I’d go around the corner and into a shop to kill time and see if she started up again, but when I returned 5 minutes later it was as if they were never there. Madurai also contains a very good museum about Ghandi and his life and struggles.

Trivandrum

My next stop was Trivandrum, down near the southern tip of India. I found the people of southern India more friendly than those of the north, and they also seem to recognize ‘no’ as a valid word of the English language - what a concept!

I next proceeded over to Sri Lanka, where I spent a month traveling about.